Spring actuated centrifugal type ball throwing device

ABSTRACT

A DEVICE FOR THROWING A BALL MECHANICALLY TO AN ANIMAL OR PERSON. THE PREFFERED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION INCLUDE A THROWING ARM RESILIENTLY MOUNTED IN A HOUSING. THE HOUSING HAS AN INLET DOOR AND OUTLET DOOR. AN ELECTRIC DRIVE MOTOR IS PROVIDED TO COCK THE THROWING ARM AGAINST A SPRING TO A POSITION WHERE THE BALL IS RECEIVED FROM THE HOUSING INLET. THE HOUSING INLET ALSO HAS A WEIGHT ACTUATED SWITCH WHICH SENSES THE PRESENCE OF THE BALL IN THE INLET AND STARTS THE ELECTRIC MOTOR TO COCK THE THROWING ARM. AFTER THE THROWING ARM IS COCKED, IT IS RELEASED TO THE URGING OF THE SPRING WHICH RAPIDLY DRIVES IT TO AN UNCOCKED POSITION, PROPELLING THE BALL OUT OF THE HOUSING OUTLET.

March 23, 1971 L. 6-. SMITH SPRING ACTUATED CENTRIFUGAL TYPE BALL THROWING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet: 1

XXXX [XXYVW v INVENTOR LEONARD G. SMITH WZM ATTORNEY March 23; "1971' L. G. SMITH I 3,572,308

SPRING ACTUATED CENTRIFUGAL TYPE BALL THROWING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1969 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LEONARD G. SMITH z /zawz ATTORNEY L. G. SMITH March 23 1971 SPRING ACTUATED CENTRIFUGAL TYPE BALL THROWING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 15, 1969 INVENTOR LEONARD 6. SMITH 7'OZM ATTORNEY L. G. SMITH March 23, 1971 SPRING ACTUATED CENTRIFUGAL TYPE BALL THROWING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1969 4'Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent O SPRING ACTUATED CENTRIFUGAL TYPE BALL THROWING DEVICE Leonard G. Smith, 2325 Elton Ave., Bakersfield, Calif. 93306 Filed May 15, 1969, Ser. No. 825,008 Int. Cl. F41b 3/02 US. Cl. 124-7 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for throwing a ball mechanically to an animal or person. The preferred embodiments of the invention include a throwing arm resiliently mounted in a housing. The housing has an inlet door and an outlet door. An electric drive motor is provided to cock the throwing arm against a spring to a position where the ball is received from the housing inlet. The housing inlet also has a weight actuated switch which senses the presence of the ball in the inlet and starts the electric motor to cock the throwing arm. After the throwing arm is cocked, it is released to the urging of the spring which rapidly drives it to an uncooked position, propelling the ball out of the housing outlet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to projectile propelling devices and particularly to power driven, automatically actuated devices for throwing a ball.

Many dog owners train their animals to chase and retrieve a thrown ball only to find themselves constantly begged to play this game. Likewise, children can often be constructively entertained for long periods, throwing and catching a ball. The problem is that both of these activities require a second participant, who is not always available.

While it is true that various ball throwing and ball return devices have been heretofore developed, none has met the need for a simple, relatively inexpensive, power driven, automatic ball propeller. Previously known ball propellers include nets spring mounted within a frame, which are quite simple, and expensive automated pitching machines for use in professional sports, which are highly complex. Devices of the nature of the first described require that the ball be thrown accurately into the device with suificient momentum to power its return, and, therefore are not suitable for use by animals or small children. The complex devices are too expensive and complicated to be feasible for individual use.

It is, therefore, a major object of my invention to provide a ball throwing device which is relatively inexpensive to construct and extremely simple to use.

It is another object of my invention to provide a ball throwing device which is independently powered and automatically actuated.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a ball throwing device of the type described which is actuated by placement of the ball in a receiving passage and thereafter automatically proceeding to throw the ball.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will become more readily apparent from the following specification and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a first preferred embodiment of my invention with the mechanism in an activated position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in FIG. 1, with the mechanism in a passive condition;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ball receiving portion of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

3,572,308 Patented Mar. 23, 1971 FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the ball receiving portion of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of an alternate preferred embodiment of my invention, with portions of the housing cut away;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the 6--6 line in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the 77 line in FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, the numeral 10 designates generally a first preferred embodiment of my ball throwing device. The ball throwing device 10' includes a mounting frame 11, a ball receiving section 12 and a ball propelling section 13.

The ball receiving section 12 and the ball propelling section 13 are interconnected and are supported on the mounting frame 11. The mounting frame 11 has depending legs 14 which support the mounting frame '11 a desired distance off the ground.

The ball receiving section 12 has a ball receiving trough 15 which opens upwardly and is disposed to receive a funnel 16 which is attached to the lower portion of a semi funnel shaped net 17. The net 17 is supported at its upper portion 18 by a semi-circular resilient band 19 which passes through a seam in the upper end of the net and holds the net suitably taut to provide a ball restricting surface. The net 17 and funnel 16 are mounted on support rods 20 which extend upwardly from sockets 21 in the outer surface of the ball receiving trough 15, and have support hooks 22 which engage the net band 19. The hall receiving trough 15 is connected to the propelling section 13 to direct balls received by it into the ball propelling section.

The ball propelling section 13 has a throwing arm 24 which is pivotally mounted near its proximal end 26 to the mounting frame 11 at pivot point 28 by a pivot shaft 30. At its distal end 32 the throwing arm 24 has a ball cup 34. The proximal end 26 of the throwing arm 24 extends past the pivot point 28 to form a throwing arm lever 36.

A cam plate 38 is rotatably mounted on the frame 11 adjacent the pivot point 28 at the proximal end of the throwing arm 24. A pair of cam rollers 40 are mounted on the cam plate 38, disposed oppositely, and outwardly from the cam hub 41. A cam arm 42 is alfixed to the pivot shaft on the end adjacent the cam plate 38 and has a cam surface 44 on one end disposed for engagement by said cam rollers upon rotation of the cam plate. The cam rollers 40 drive the upper end of the cam arm 42 rearward as they engage the cam surface 44, rotating the pivot shaft 30 and the throwing arm 24 mounted thereon.

The throwing arm 24 is normally positioned substantially upright with respect to the frame 11 and is held in this position by a drive spring 46 which is connected between the throwing arm lever 36 and a spring hook 48 mounted on the rear portion of frame 11. The spring hook 48 is so disposed with respect to the throwing arm lever 36 on the proximal end 32 of the throwing arm 24, that pivoting of the throwing arm by the cam arm 42, as described above, increases tension in the spring 46. When the throwing arm 24 is disposed in its lowermost position (see FIG. 3) the spring is at its maximum tension. The spring lock 48 has several attachment positions to permit variation in the maximum spring tension.

To drive the cam plate 38, a drive motor 50 is mounted on a frame 11 and connected to the cam plate 38 through a reduction gear 52 and a chain and sprocket 54. The drive motor 50 is electrically powered from a volt A.C. power source.

To actuate the drive motor 50, a start switch 56 is provided in the ball receiving section 12. The start switch 56 is mounted below the ball receiving trough and is actuated by a weight sensing plate 58 disposed on the bottom of the ball receiving trough and connected by linkage 60 to the start switch 56. The linkage 60 is pivotally mounted to the bottom of the ball receiving trough 15 rearwardly of the weight sensing plate 58 and is connected to the weight sensing plate through an opening 62 in the bottom of the trough. The pivotal mounting of the linkage 60 is spring loaded so that the linkage normally holds the weight sensing plate 58 upward from the bottom of the ball receiving trough but pivots downwardly when a ball is positioned on the plate.

To control the delivery of balls from the ball receiving section 12 to the ball propelling section 13, a gate 62 is provided in an entrance to the ball propelling section. The gate 62 is so positioned that a ball placed in the ball receiving section 12 is prevented from passing to the ball propelling section 13 through the entrance 64 until the gate is opened. The gate 62 is vertically slidable in tracks 66, and closes the entrance 64 when in its lower position and opens it in its upper position. Movement of the gate 62 is achieved by a gate lever 68 which is centrally pivoted to the frame 11 and has a rearward end 69 connected to the top of the gate by a chain 70 and a forward end 71 disposed for engagement by the cam arm 42. The forward end of the gate lever is so positioned with respect to the cam arm 42 that the gate is fully opened just after the cam arm reaches its position of maximum pivoting by the cam rollers 40 and, therefore, just after the throwing arm reaches its position of maximum pivoting. The ball cup 34 on the distal end 32 of the throwing arm is, therefore, properly located adjacent the entrance 64 to receive a ball from the ball receiving trough 15 when the gate 62 opens sufliciently to pass a ball.

To maintain drive power after a ball has passed off of the weight sensing plate 58 and through the entrance 64 into the ball cup 34, a switch lock linkage 72 is provided adjacent the start switch 56, which is connected by a control rod 74 to the lower end of cam arm 42. The switch lock linkage 72 has a pivot arm 76 which is pivotally mounted on a rearward portion of the frame 11 adjacent the start switch linkage 60 and has a lock bar 78 on its upper end, while its lower end is connected to the rearward end of control rod 74. The start switch linkage 60 has a lock lever 80 which projects forwardly adjacent the switch lock linkage 72 and is engageable by the lock bar 78 on the upper end of the pivot arm 76 when the linkage 60 is in its downward pivotal position. Since the control rod 74 is connected to the lower end of the cam arm 42 it is drawn forwardly when the upper end of cam arm 42 is driven rearwardly by engagement of the rollers 40 with the cam surface 44. As the control rod 74 is drawn rearwardly, it pivots the pivot arm 76 to move the lock bar 78 on its upper end rearwardly into its position of engagement with the lock lever 80 of the start switch linkage. If the start switch linkage is in its downwardly pivoted position so that engagement occurs between the lock bar 78 and the lock lever 80, the start switch linkage is held in its downward position even though the ball has passed off of the weight sensing plate 58, and the start switch 56 remains closed.

To eliminate the risk of any interference with the throwing arm 24 during its movement, a housing 82 is provided on frame 11 which covers the area of travel of the throwing arm. The housing 82 has a throat opening 84 which is aligned with the cup 34 on the upper end of the throwing arm 24 when the throwing arm upper end is pivoted forwardly, so that a ball may pass from the cup out the opening. To limit the forward movement of the upper end of the throwing arm 24 a stop block 86 is mounted on the frame 11 by means of a bracket 88. The stop block 86 is formed of hard rubber and is posi- 4 tioned by the bracket 88 to engage the upper end of throwing arm 24 just below the cup 34 and stop its forward movement at a point where the throwing arm is nearly vertical and the cup 34 is aligned with the throat opening 84.

To prevent a ball contained in the cup 34 from falling from the cup when the throwing arm approaches its near vertical position, a tongue 90 is provided which projects outwardly from and substantially normal to the upper end of the throwing arm 24 just below the cup 34. Also, a positioning flange 92 and stop leg 94 are provided which assure proper positioning of the cup 34 to receive a ball from the ball receiving section 12 when the throwing arm is pivoted rearwardly to its ball receiving position (see FIG. 1). The flange 92 is mounted on the frame 11 just below the entrance 64 of the ball receiving section and the stop leg 94 projects from the uppermost portion of the cup 34 in a position to engage the flange when the cup is properly located to receive a ball.

The operation of my first preferred embodiment, just described, is as follows. After the drive motor 50 is connected to a volt AC power source, a ball is thrown against the receiving net 17. The net 17 directs the ball downward through the funnel 16 and into the ball receiving trough 15 of the ball receiving section 12. When the ball reaches the ball receiving trough 15 it passes on to the weight sensing plate 58 where its weight causes the weight sensing plate 58 and its attached start switch linkage 60 to pivot downwardly and close the start switch 56.

Closing the start switch 56 activates the drive motor 50 which, through the reduction gear 52 and chain and sprocket 54, rotates the cam plate 38. As the cam plate 38 rotates it carries one of the rollers 40 into engagement with the cam surface 44 on cam arm 42 and drives the upper end of cam arm 42 rearwardly. As the cam arm 42 pivots rearwardly it rotates the pivot shaft 30, carrying the upper end of the throwing arm 24 rearwardly against the tension of drive spring 46. At the same time, the upper end of cam arm 42 engages the forward end 71 of gate lever 68 pivoting the rearward end 69 of this gate lever upwardly to lift the gate 62 in the tracks 66 through the chain 70 and open the entrance 64. The gate lever 68 is so positioned with respect to the cam arm 42 that the entrance 64 is not opened a sufficient amount to pass the ball in the ball receiving trough 15 until the cup 34 on the upper end of the throwing arm reaches a location where it is positioned to receive the ball. Also, the stop leg 94 protects against slight variations in this sequence by blocking forward movement of the ball until the cup is properly positioned. I

The pivotal movement of the cam arm 42 also draws the control arm 74 forwardly, and through the switch lock linkage 72 locks the start switch linkage 60 down to keep the start switch 56 closed.

When the throwing arm 24 has been pivoted far enough to engage the stop leg 94 with the flange 92 the ball passes from the ball receiving trough 15 of the ball receiving section into the cup 34 in the ball propelling section 13. Since the start switch 56 is locked closed, the drive motor 50 continues to rotate the cam plate 38 until the roller 40 passes free of the cam surface 44 on cam arm 42, at which point the drive spring 46 recoils driving the upper end of throwing arm 24 upwardly until it strikes the stop block 86. The ball is there propelled from the cup 34 out the throat opening 84 and for a considerable distance therebeyond.

The forward pivottng of the throwing arm 24 also rotates the pivot shaft 30 back to its original positioning, carrying with it the cam arm 42. This releases the switch lock linkage 72 and permits the start switch linkage 60 to pivot upwardly and open the start switch 56. It also releases the gate lever 68 and permits the gate 62 to fall in the tracks 66 and close the entrance 64. The mechanism is thus prepared for another cycle and when a ball is again thrown into the net 17 the operation, just described, is repeated.

Referring now to FIGS. through 7, the numeral 100 designates generally an alternate preferred embodiment of my invention. The alternate embodiment has a frame 102 and a housing 104 with a ball port 106. A ball funnel 108 is mounted on the frame 102 at the bottom of the ball port 106 and extends both inwardly and outwardly of the housing 104. Just inwardly of the ball funnel 108 is a ball contact arm 110 which is pivotally mounted on a frame 102 by pivot pin 112. The ball contact arm 110 is weighted at its outward end by a movable weight 114 which is regulated to cause the arm to pivot with its inward end 116 upwardly when no ball is resting in contact with the inward end. Contact with the ball passing down the funnel 108 and engaging the inward end 116 of the ball contact arm 112 causes the inward end of the contact arm to pivot downwardly. A start switch 118 is mounted on a frame 102 and is connected by an actuating linkage 122 to the inward end 116 of the ball contact arm 110 is a propelling spring 124 which is secured to the frame 112 at a proximal end 126 and has a distal end 128 extending upwardly therefrom to provide a flat ball engaging surface 130.

A drive shaft 132 is mounted on a frame 112 and carries a cam arm 134 on its inner end and a reduction gear and drive pulley 136 on its outer end. The cam arm 134 is disposed to contact the fiat ball engaging surface 130 on the distal end 128 of the propelling spring 124 when the drive shaft is rotated and urge the distal end rearwardly against its normal resilience. An electric motor 138 is mounted on a frame 112 and connected to the reduction gear and pulley 136 by a drive belt 140. The motor 138 is powered from a 110 volt AC power source and the start switch 118 is connected in the power circuit to switch the motor on and off.

To interconnect the ball funnel 108 and the ball contact arm 110 a ball support 142 is mounted on the housing 112 just rearward of the ball funnel and has a slight slope rearwardly. Just rearward of the ball support 142 is a ball contact arm stop 144 which limits the downward pivoting of the inner end of the ball contact arm 110.

This second embodiment of my invention operates as follows:

The ball is either set in the inwardly declining ball funnel 108 or directed into this funnel by means of a catch net similar to that described in the first embodiment but here mounted on the front of the housing 104. The slight inward decline of the ball funnel 108 causes the ball to pass inwardly onto the ball support 142- and finally onto the ball contact arm 110, pivoting the upwardly extending inner end of the arm downwardly. This actuates the start switch 118 by means of the actuating linkage 122. The start switch 118, upon activation, closes the electric circuit to the motor 138 and through the reduction gear and pulley 136 drives the drive shaft 132. Rotation of the drive shaft 132 carries the cam lever 134 into contact with the ball engaging surface 130 of the distal end 128 of propelling spring 124, driving the distal end of the spring rearwardly against its natural resilience. As the spring is driven rearwardly, the ball remains against the ball engaging surface 130, following the spring rearwardly along the declining ball contact arm.

As the drive shaft 132 continues its rotation, the cam arm 134 reaches a point where it slips free of its contact with the distal end 128 of the propelling spring 124, permitting the spring to snap forwardly. This propels the ball back up the ball contact arm, across the ball support 142 and out through the ball funnel 108 for a considerable distance therebeyond. As soon as the ball is propelled out of the ball funnel, the ball contact arm drops back to its original position with its inner end extending upwardly by reason of the movable weight 114, and deenergizes the start switch 118 to the electric motor 138 through the actuating linkage 122. The apparatus is then ready to recycle through the same operation.

From this description of preferred embodiments of my invention it will be understood that I have provided an automatically actuated, power driven, ball propelling device which is simple to use and relatively inexpensive to construct. Many structural variations are possible, of course, without deviating from the essential elements of the invention.

I claim:

1. A ball propelling device comprising:

a frame;

a propelling arm operatively associated with said frame,

and movable with respect thereto;

resilient means operatively associated with said propelling arm and frame and disposed to resiliently bias said arm toward a static position with respect to said frame;

arming means operatively associated with said arm and frame and disposed to move said arm against the bias of said resilient means away from said static position to an armed position and thereafter release said arm for return to said static position;

drive means operatively associated with said frame and arming means and disposed to drive said arming means; and

ball receiving means operatively associated with said frame and said propelling arm and disposed to sequentially receive and position a ball in engagement with said propelling arm when said arm is in said armed position, said ball receiving means having a trough mounted on said frame and disposed to deliver a ball received therein to said propelling arm when said arm is in said armed position, a weight sensing platform mounted in said trough and disposed for activating movement by a ball received in said trough, switch means electrically interconnected with said drive means to energize said drive means, and switch activating means interconnected between said switch means and said weight sensing platform and disposed to actuate said switch means upon said activating movement of said weight sensing platform.

2. A ball propelling device as described in claim 1 in which:

said propelling arm has a proximal end mounted on said frame and a distal end disposed to engage a ball received by said ball receiving means when said arm is disposed in said armed position.

3. A ball propelling device as described in claim 1 in which:

said propelling arm is pivotally mounted to said frame adjacent a proximal end thereof and has a ball engaging surface adjacent its distal end;

said resilient means includes a tension spring interconnected between said frame and the proximal end of said propelling arm; and

said arming means includes a cam arm rotatably mounted on said frame and drivingly interconnected with said drive means, said cam arm having a cam surface disposed to engage said propelling arm and drive it away from said static position against the resilient biasing of said resilient means to said armed position and upon further rotation to release said propelling arm for free return to said static position under resilient urging of said resilient means.

4. A ball propelling device as described in claim 3 in which:

said trough is mounted on said frame and sloped downwardly toward said propelling arm when said arm is in said armed position, said weight sensing platform is pivotally mounted with respect to said trough to normally pivot in one direction but upon engagement by a ball to pivot in another direction, said switch actuating means is mechanically interconnected with said trough and platform and actuatable 7 by said platform upon its pivoting in said other direction, said switch means is disposed to energize said pelling arm has completed its cycle from static position to armed position and back again.

drive means when said switch actuating means is 6. A ball propelling device as described in claim in actuated by pivoting of said platform, and said ball which: receiving means further includes a lock-in mecha- 5 said ball receiving means further includes a ball collecnism operatively associated with said switch actuating means and said propelling arm and disposed to lock said switch actuating means and switch means in said drive means energizing position until said protor net having an upper end disposed above said ball receiving means to form an easy target for thrown balls and a lower end connected to a ball funnel disposed to deliver balls, one at a time, to said trough polling arm has completed its cycle from static posiand weight sensing platform. tion to armed position and back again. 7. A ball propelling device as described in claim 1 in 5. A ball propelling device as described in claim 1 in which; which: said ball receiving means further includes a ball collec- Said trough is mounted On Said frame and sloped downtor disposed to form an easy target for thrown balls.

wardly toward said propelling arm when said arm is in said armed position, said weight sensing platform R f e Cit d is pivotally mounted with respect to said trough to normally pivot in one direction but upon engage- UNITED STATES PATENTS ment by a ball to pivot in another direction, said 0 10/1916 McMillan switch actuating means is mechanically intercon- 0 2,815,743 12/1957 Brunderman 12A-7 nected with said trough and platform and actuatable 3,128,753 4/ 1964 Politzer l2 4--4lX by said platform upon its pivoting in said other direc- 3,262,439 7/ 1966 Johns 1247 tion, said switch means is disposed to energize said 3,470,859 10/1969 Ponza 124-7 drive means when said switch actuating means is actuated by pivoting of said platform, and said ball RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner receiving means further includes a lock-in mechanism operatively associated with said switch actuat- BROWNE Asslstant Exammer ing means and said propelling arm and disposed to lock said switch actuating means and switch means in said drive means energizing position until said pro- 12432, 36,

US. Cl. X.R. 

